The US version of Life On Mars arrives on DVD in the UK.

Will he cope with his new boss Lieutenant Gene Hunt?

Will the sympathetic Annie believe his fantastic future tales?

4 stars

Sounds like a tall order.

How did he get here and will he ever get home?

If all this sounds familiar, thats because it is.

4 stars

This is a remarkably faithful American remake of trailblazing British showLife On Mars.

Far fewer shows have made the trip the other way.

NotablyWhos The Boss?becameThe Upper Handand notoriouslyThe Golden GirlsbecameBrightonBelles…

4 stars

Sometimes the title remained unchanged.Dear John USAbeing a prime example.

Here, Matthew Graham ensures his brainchild survives the transatlantic trip intact.

UnlikeThe Office,even the character names (mostly) remain the same.

4 stars

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The UK version ofLife On Marsran for 16 episodes over two seasons.

Those sixteen episodes have been expanded and Matthew Graham has added a whole extra episode.

The first few shows remain very faithful, the majority, though, are a little more freeform.

4 stars

The casting is interesting.

Intriguingly, the most obvious casting is, arguably, the weakest thing about the whole show.

I refer, of course, to the unashamed stunt casting of Harvey Keitel as Gene Hunt.

4 stars

Its as if someone asked who could play Gene Hunt… if money were no object?

and has run with it.

A Hollywood A-lister in an (above average) cop show feels slightly odd and undermines the concept somewhat.

Clearly, the series was proposed to the US networks on the strength of Keitels involvement.

Either that or Harvey Keitel was a casting request to get the series made.

Suffice to say he gets a …and Harvey Keitel credit.

Keitel plays Lieutenant Gene Hunt as a laconic, seen-it-all American cop of the old school.

Ray (Michael Imperioli) has a more outgoing personality and is friendlier than in the UK version.

British television possesses a more theatrical approach, which can seem stagey by comparison.

Life On Mars (US)employs various techniques to evoke the period setting.

TV screens feature Richard Nixons speech on Watergate, which would come back to haunt him the following year.

Extras

A short collection of out-takes and ten deleted scenes make up a rather paltry special features section.

An enlightening documentary or commentary would undoubtedly have lifted this otherwise very good package.

Life On Mars USis an intriguing all-American take on a phenomenally successful UK series.

For the most part, it works because its so faithful to the original British model.

However, there are just enough differences (especially the final scene!)

to give it its own identity.

The acting is of a high standard and in general the production values remain true to the period.

Feature:

Life On Mars USis out now andavailable from the Den Of Geek Store.

Rating:

4 out of 5